“In Brazil, he’s just a fat man walking down the street” - When Kaka made bold claim about Real Madrid icon Ronaldo Nazario
Former Real Madrid midfielder Kaka once made a claim about how Ronaldo Nazario is treated in Brazil. O Fenomeno won the Ballon d'Or twice in his career, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and is a Santiago Bernabeu legend.
The Brazilian joined Los Blancos in 2002 from Inter Milan and spent four-and-a-half seasons at the club. He won the league, the Supercopa de Espana, and the Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid.
It was at San Siro that he shared the pitch with Kaka for 15 matches across two seasons. However, Kaka once said his countryman isn't valued in Brazil.
Speaking on beIN Sports during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kaka insisted that Ronaldo is just 'a fat man walking' on the road in Brazil.
“It’s strange to say this, but many Brazilians don’t support Brazil. It happens sometimes. If you see Ronaldo walking around here, you’ll be like: ‘Wow’, he has something different here.' In Brazil, he’s just a fat man walking down the street,” Kaka said.
Kaka's comments created such a furore that his countryman had to intervene a couple of days later. As quoted by The Indian Express, O Fenomeno insisted that the matter was lost in translation.
“His English is not great. Perhaps he wanted to refer to a treatment that we all receive as successful Brazilians abroad. Perhaps culturally we receive a more special treatment outside Brazil than in Brazil itself,” Ronaldo said.
Kaka and his compatriot played 41 matches together for Brazil and AC Milan and jointly participated for nine goals.
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O Fenomeno initially arrived in Spain to join Real Madrid's bitter rivals Barcelona. He had spent just one season at Camp Nou before Inter Milan came calling.
The player reached tremendous heights with I Nerazzurri, prompting Los Blancos to break the bank for him in 2002. The LaLiga giants paid €46m for the Brazil legend, whose arrival was part of the ongoing 'Galacticos' era.
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner went on to register 103 goals and 34 assists from 177 games for Real Madrid. However, he suffered injuries and weight-related issues in his final two campaigns at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The arrival of Ruud van Nistelrooy also cut into his game time at the club. Los Blancos ultimately sold the Brazilian to AC Milan in January 2007 for a reported €8.05m fee. After spending two seasons with the Serie A giants, he left for Corinthians and retired two years later.